Oregon Public Broadcasting

Six weeks left in this fall’s Congressional campaign. That means six more weeks of ads when you switch on the TV.

TV ads:  “I’m Denny Heck, and I approved this message!”  “I’m Jaime Herrera, and I approved this message!”

The two candidates in Washington’s 3rd Congressional District are locked in an aggressive battle to succeed Brian Baird. As April Baer reports, the broadcast war for that seat is well underway.

TV ads - especially those bought by outside groups, are not the candidates’ favorite thing to talk about. Democrat Denny Heck became the target of a$180,000 ad campaign last month.

During a stop in his Jobs tour at a Vancouver manufacturing plant, Heck says he’s barely seen the attack ads.

Denny Heck: “No.  I saw the first one, I haven’t seen after. I don’ have time for that. It’s a pretty big part of what’s turned people off to politics, frankly.”

Heck’s opponent, Republican Jaime Herrera didn’t have much to say on the subject either, during an appearance Wednesday at the Vancouver Rotary Club.

While the ads were bought in support of Herrera’s campaign, she says she’s focusing on issues.

Jaime Herrera: “I can say what I’ve said. We didn’t know about the ads, we didn’t collaborate. To me, it is a red herring.”

The Washington Democratic Party isn’t so sure. The ads came from two conservative groups, Americans for Prosperity and the American Future Fund.

State Democrats noticed this man, who makes a brief appearance in the ad, looked familiar.

Aaron Christopherson “…and failed to save jobs.”

That’s Aaron Christopherson. It turns out he’d managed one of Jaime Herrera’s prior campaigns. 

Democrats claimed the appearance suggests coordination between AFP and Herrera’s campaign, and filed a complaint.

The Federal Elections Commission is investigating, but won’t comment. Herrera’s spokesman says there was no illegal coordination.

Neither AFP or AFF returned repeated phone calls.

So far, no outside ads have run on behalf of the Heck campaign, but the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee says it has reserved $650,000 in ad time, if it’s needed.

It’s still hard to know whether ads from either side are working. Many voters, like Vancouver resident Ron Hamilton, say they try not to watch.

Ron Hamilton: “I hate them all. I hate all political ads when they start slamming one another. They tick me off to the Nth degree.”

Hamilton says he’s already picked a candidate in the 3rd District race, but won’t say who.

Republican voter Margaret Clifton has seen most of the 3rd District ads, and she’s still undecided.

Margaret Clifton: “Ah they both - I don’t really like Herrera, but I would vote Republican. And Heck. He seems OK.”

Dave Levinthal is Communications Director at the Center for Responsive Politics, which tracks independent expenditures.

Levinthal says the big money is flowing toward some of the big Senate contests,around the country--not House races like the Third District.

But he says, in political terms, it’s still early.

Dave Levinthal  “Politics can often be a big game of chicken, where when somebody finally moves, you’re going to move. But until that happens it seems like things are happening in slow motion.”

Vancouver voter and Democrat Susan Immer says it’s obvious to her which ads are coming from outside the Northwest this year.

Susan Immer:  “The tone of an independent ad is more aggressive, it’s got more innuendo.”

And Immer has a suggestion for fellow voters watching the ads.

Susan Immer:  “I just wish people would think about what’s being said and if it sounds contradictory or peculiar that they would look into it!”

Although, Immer knows, those funding the ads may be betting on the likelihood that voters won’t take her suggestion.

Thursday the National Republican Campaign Committee raised the stakes, buying $900,000 of airtime for the Vancouver media market, on behalf of Jaime Herrera's campaign.